William Wyler's 1959 adaptation of General Lew Wallace's hugely popular novel is a fictional riff on the time of Jesus, starring Charlton Heston as a Judean prince. Epic in both length and stature, Ben-Hur goes on for-bloody-ever... but the action set-pieces remain unrivalled, even in the age of CGI.
DVD Extras:
Commentary with Charlton Heston, Ben-Hur - The Making Of An Epic documentary, on-set photo gallery, screen tests, trailer.This `flipper' disc splits the film over two sides, but you'll definitely appreciate the interval. On Side B, the photo section is small, but the screen tests offer you the chance to see Leslie Naked Gun Nielsen made up as Messala, alongside Italian matinee idol Cesare Danova as Ben-Hur. The hour-long Making Of tells you everything you could ever need to know - not only about Wyler's version, but the 1925 Fred Niblo silent too. Thankfully it's a genuinely interesting story, showing how the awe-inspiring sets were constructed using a blend of live action and totally convincing matte shots (painted backgrounds), as well as in-depth look at the legendary chariot race. As Heston says on his intermittent, but amusing commentary: "It was a bitch to shoot, I'll tell you that."
